Defense lawyer at NYC hearing says Guantanamo detainee was given torture instead of trial

Lawyer cites torture over trial for Gitmo detainee

NEW YORK — A lawyer in New York is arguing that charges be dismissed against the first Guantanamo Bay detainee in civilian courts because he was tortured and denied a trial for so long.

Attorney Peter Enrique Quijano (kee-AH’-noh) told Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday that the right to a speedy trial means charges should be dismissed against his client, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani (guh-LAH’-nee). Kaplan did not immediately rule.

Quijano says Ghailani was subject to so-called “enhanced interrogation methods” for 14 hours over five days and was denied trial for four years.

Ghailani is accused of deadly bombings at two U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998. Prosecutors say the delay in bringing him to trial was to gain information to save lives.